British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday pledged his country's ongoing support to war-torn Afghanistan, saying the defeat of the Taliban was vital for local and international security. Blair, who met British soldiers in southern Afghanistan before flying to the capital, Kabul, said Britain would stay for «as long as it takes» to help the fledging government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai defeat militants trying to disrupt progress in the five years since the fundamentalist Taliban regime fell, the Associated Press reported. On his part, the Afghan leader was confident global help would continue in Afghanistan until its recovery was complete. «The international community will surely stay with us until we are firmly on our own feet,» Karzai said.
